Venkatesh Mushini1 , Anice Fathima Mohammad2 , Aditya3
BACKGROUND The purpose of this study is to determine the level of awareness of various aspects of cancers among college subjects and evaluate the impact of awareness programs in its prevention and early detection. METHODS This clinical study is conducted with the data which was collected from 1000 respondents. Their awareness of cancer risk factors and screening programmes, beliefs about cancer and confidence in discussing cancer, were assessed before a cancer awareness seminar by the questioner. All subjects who agreed to be part of the sample were given the questionnaire to be filled up. RESULTS In present study, the commonly known early warning sign of cancer was “unexplained swelling” (59.3 %). Further, although majority knew that cigarette smoking is a risk factor for cancer (88.5 %), very few were aware about the role of inadequate physical activity (9.9 %) and diet devoid of adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables (11.9 %). When asked about the anticipated barriers in seeking help; most respondents believed that they would be embarrassed (85.7 %) or scared (86.5 %). CONCLUSIONS Among the risk factors, the most frequently recognized risk factors were smoking and tobacco. Participants showed insufficient knowledge in some areas related to symptoms and signs and risk factors of cancer. Thus, educational interventions need to be emphasized to provide comprehensive information of cancer.
